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[INNS-BDDL 2018] Call for Papers

by Teng Teck Hou

[Apologies for cross-postings] ########################################################### CALL FOR PAPERS The 3rd INNS Conference on Big Data and Deep Learning 2018 April 17-19, 2018, Bali, Indonesia Homepage: http://www.innsbigdata2018.org #######################Description:###################### The International Neural Network Society (INNS) is the premiere organization for individuals interested in a theoretical and computational understanding of the brain and applying that knowledge to develop new and more effective forms of machine intelligence. INNS was formed in 1987 by the leading scientists in the neural network field. Researchers and colleagues who work in the area of big data and machine learning, we are happy to announce "The 3 rd INNS Conference on Big Data and Deep Learning 2018 (INNS BDDL 2018) will be held on April 18 – 19, 2018 in Sanur – Bali, Indonesia. The aim of this conference is to create a valuable and important forum for scientists and engineers throughout the world to present the latest research findings and idea at the forefront of Big Data and Deep Learning. Accepted papers will be published by Elsevier, Scopus indexed. Several papers will be selected for possible publication in top journals. The conference will feature a comprehensive technical program with technical tracks on: Track 1: Big Data Track 2: Big Data Algorithms Track 3: Deep Learning Track 4: Application Areas ####################Important Dates################################# * Tutorial and workshop proposals (Submission) 30 September 2017 * Tutorial and workshop proposals (Decision) 7 October 2017 * Paper submission 1 December 2017 * Decision notification 8 January 2018 * Camera-ready submission 2 February 2018 * Conference 17 - 19 April 2018 ################################################################### #########################Keynote Speakers########################## * Geoffrey I. Webb, Monash University, Australia * Kay Chen Tan, City University, Hong Kong ################################################################### #################### Organizing committees ############### General chairs Seiichi Ozawa, Kobe University, Japan Ah-Hwee Tan, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Program Chairs Plamen P. Angelov, Lancaster University, UK Asim Roy, Arizona State University, USA Mahardhika Pratama, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Valeri Mladenov, Technical University of Sofia, Bulgaria Petia Koprinkova-Hristova, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Bulgaria Petia Georgieva, University of Aveiro, Portugal Honorary Board Mohammad Nuh, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia Joni Hermana, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia Heru Setyawan, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia Local Committee Chairs Dieky Adzkiya, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia Advisory Board Yew-Soon Ong, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Robert Kozma, University of Memphis, USA Sankar K. Pal, Indian Statistical Institute, India Haibo He, University of Rhode Island, USA Witold Pedrycz, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada Leszek Rutkowski, Czestochowa University of Technology, Poland Nikola Kasabov, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand Fernando Gomide, University of Campinas, Brazil Marley Vellasco, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Yoonsuck Choe, Texas A&M University Minho Lee, Kyungpook National University, South Korea Bao-Liang Lu, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China Irwin King, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Tutorials/Workshop Chairs Igor Skrjanc, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia Sundaram Suresh, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Noor Akhmad Setiawan, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia Poster Sessions Chairs Eko Setiadji, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia Agus Salim, La Trobe University, Australia Ali Ridho Barakbah, Politeknik Elektronika Negeri Surabaya, Indonesia Special Sessions Chairs Justin Wang, La Trobe University, Australia Yongping Pan, National University of Singapore, Singapore Alfian Futhul Hadi, Universitas Jember, Indonesia Panel Chairs Sreenatha Anavatti, University of New South Wales, Australia Mukesh Prasad, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia Achmad Affandi, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia Awards Chairs Tapabrata Ray, University of New South Wales, Australia Dejan Dovzan, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia Richard J. Oentaryo, McLaren Applied Technologies, Singapore Publication Chairs Edwin Lughofer, Johannes Kepler University, Austria Jose Antonio Iglesias, Carlos III University of Madrid, Spain Moamar Sayed?Mouchaweh, Institute Mines Telecom Lille Douai, France Publicity Chair Simone Scardapane, Sapienza University, Italy Teng Teck Hou, Singapore Management University, Singapore Kurnianingsih, Politeknik Negeri Semarang, Indonesia International Liaison Chairs Yun Sing Koh, University of Auckland, New Zealand Deepak Puthal, University of Technology Sydney, Australia Wirawan, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia Webmaster Mohamad Abdul Hady, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia Andri Ashfahani, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia Choiru Za’in, La Trobe University, Australia ########################################################## ###### Topics and Areas include, but not limited to the following###### >>BIG DATA Autonomous, online, incremental learning in big data High dimensional data, feature selection, feature transformation for big data Scalable algorithms for big data Big data analytics Data stream analytics Parallel & distributed computing for big data analytics (cloud, map-reduce, etc.) Online learning Online multimedia/stream/text analytics Link and graph mining Big data and cloud computing, large scale stream processing on the cloud Big data and collective intelligence/collaborative learning Big data and hybrid systems Big data and self-aware systems Big data and infrastructure Big data visualization >>Big Data Algorithm Neuromorphic hardware for scalable machine learning Evolving systems for big data analytics Evolutionary systems and big data Fuzzy systems and big data Cognitive modelling and big data Probabilistic approach for big data Concept drift detection for big data Granular computing for big data Transfer learning for big data >>Deep Learning Deep belief network Convolutional neural network Long short term memory Deep network architecture Deep autoencoder Deep stacked network Deep learning for natural language processing Deep learning for machine vision Evolving deep network Transfer learning in deep learning Online deep learning >>Application Areas Banking and Securities Communications, Media and Entertainment Healthcare Providers Education Manufacturing & Natural Resources Government Insurances Retail & Wholesale Trade Transportation Energy & Utilities, Etc. ############################################################################ ##########################Sponsoring Organizations################# * INNS - International Neural Network Society * MTC - Mechatronic Technology Center, Institut Tecknologi Sepuluh Nopember ################################################################ Previous INNS Conference: INNS 2016 in Thessaloniki, Greece INNS 2015 in San Francisco, USA

Sept. 12, 2017

Postdoc Position in ENIMGA-Sleep Working Group

by Masoud Tahmasian

Postdoc Position in ENIMGA-Sleep Working Group ENIGMA-Sleep Working Group has an opening for a post-doctoral position to study brain structure and function in insomnia. The post is based at the Institute of Medical Science and Technology (IMSAT), Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran. The Institute has a Sleep Laboratory with wireless polysomnography equipment, access to a 3T MRI scan, High resolution EEG, TMS with Neuronavigation system, Psychophysics labs as well as clinical studies facilities. Title of project: Structural and functional maladaptation in insomnia disorder Supervisior: Dr. Masoud Tahmasian MD PhD, Prof. Mojtaba Zarei MD PhD FRCP(UK) The ENIGMA consortium brings together many researchers to understand brain structure, function, and pathophysiology of disease, based on neuroimaging and genetic data. ENIGMA members are multi-disciplinary scientists from all over the world with research projects on neuroscience, clinical psychiatry, and genetics. The ENIGMA-Sleep Group is a recently launched group lead by Dr. Masoud Tahmasian and Prof. Mojtaba Zarei from the Institute of Medical Science & Technology (IMSAT), Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran. The collaborating teams from across the globe endeavor to join knowledge, experience and vision to address important questions in sleep physiology and its disorders using cutting edge brain imaging techniques and relating them with clinical and laboratory investigations. IMSAT was approved by the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, and established in 2016. It is one of the fastest growing multidisciplinary research Institute in Iran with well-trained and experienced faculty members from science, engineering and medicine. Our fields of expertise include medical imaging, image processing, clinical trials, wearable technologies, brain stimulation engineering, auditory technology, control engineering, and biomedical technology. There is a wide range of facilities for research at IMSAT including, but not limited to, MRI, EEG, Polysomnography, and actigraphy. There is also a dedicated high performance server for various data analysis. Eligibility: Applicants must have a PhD degree in medical science, neuroscience or engineering with a minimum of one-year research experience in an overseas University. The funding is only available to Iranian nationals. Duration: One year, with possibility to extend for the second year upon successful progression Salary: The successful applicant will be hired by the University with funding support already secured at the rank of assistant professor. Interested individuals should send their CV to m_tahmasian(a)sbu.ac.ir

Sept. 12, 2017

NEURON course at SFN 2017 meeting

by Ted Carnevale

Space is still available for the NEURON course at this year's meeting of the Society for Neuroscience. If you're a lab director trying to decide whether to add computational modeling to your research program, a grad student or postdoc who is just getting started in modeling, or an established NEURON user who wants to find out what the latest advances are, this one-day course is for you! It starts with a practical introduction that reviews basic concepts and presents a workflow for building and using models of cells and networks, and moves on to topics that include how to speed up simulations, using Python with NEURON, and modeling reactive diffusion with the RxD class. For more information and the registration form, see https://www.neuron.yale.edu/neuron/static/courses/dc2017/dc2017.html --Ted

Sept. 11, 2017

Lecturer in Computer Science (Biological computation - including computational neuroscience)

by Peter Andras

Lecturer in Computer Science Keele University - School of Computing and Mathematics Salary: £33,943 to £39,324 p.a. Grade 7a Hours: Full Time Contract Type: Permanent Closes: 20th September 2017 Job Ref: KU00000544 Keele University is renowned for its exciting approach to higher education, innovative research, beautiful campus, strong community spirit and excellent student experience. With a turnover in excess of £134 million, over 10,000 students and a total staff of approximately 2000, the University provides high quality teaching across a wide range of academic and vocational subjects and promotes world-class research. Further information can be found at <http://www.keele.ac.uk/> http://www.keele.ac.uk. This post represents an exciting opportunity for an ambitious individual to join a team of staff in Keele Universitys Faculty of Natural Sciences. The Faculty is responsible for research and teaching in many areas of computer science, mathematics, and the physical and biological sciences. Applications are welcome from dynamic and enthusiastic individuals committed to high quality teaching and research in any relevant field of Computer Science (e.g. software engineering, security, human-computer interaction, biological computation, machine learning, formal methods, distributed systems but not restricted to these particular fields), and who have interests that complement our existing research strengths while broadening the scope of our teaching expertise. The lectureship post is part of continued growth and expansion of computer science at Keele, which presents many new opportunities for the development of synergies in both teaching and research. Candidates will be expected to develop an active research programme that both complements and extends our existing research profile in Computer Science. Candidates are also expected to develop research collaborations with colleagues at Keele and elsewhere in strategic research areas of the University, such as smart energy, big data or ageing research. Details of the research carried out in Computer Science at Keele can be found at: <http://www.keele.ac.uk/scm/research/compsci/> http://www.keele.ac.uk/scm/research/compsci/ The successful candidate will have a PhD in an appropriate area of Computer Science (or be very close to completion of his/her PhD) and will have a strong commitment to delivering high quality undergraduate teaching, including supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate research projects and the development and delivery of new modules. The post-holder will have the skills, enthusiasm and flexibility for teaching across a wide range of computer science topics and will also contribute to recruitment activities and administrative duties within our Computer Science programmes. Informal enquires can be made to Professor Peter Andras on 01782 733412 or <mailto:p.andras@keele.ac.uk> p.andras(a)keele.ac.uk Keele University is committed to the principles of the Athena SWAN charter, and values equality and diversity across our workforce. We strive to ensure that our workforce is representative of broader society, and therefore, we would actively welcome applications from women for this role. For full post details and online application form please visit: <http://www.keele.ac.uk/vacancies> www.keele.ac.uk/vacancies Or follow the link: people.keele.ac.uk/tlive_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC107GF.open?VACANCY_ID%3 d061051EnUQ <https://people.keele.ac.uk/tlive_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC107GF.open?VAC ANCY_ID%3d061051EnUQ&WVID=0493472Nsk&LANG=USA> &WVID=0493472Nsk&LANG=USA Interviews will be held on: 18th October 2017 --- Professor Peter Andras Professor of Computer Science and Informatics Director of Postgraduate Research, Faculty of Natural Sciences Head of Computing Division, School of Computing and Mathematics Keele University Keele, Staffordshire ST5 5BG UK Tel. +44-1782-733412 Fax. +44-1782-734268 E-mail: <mailto:p.andras@keele.ac.uk> p.andras(a)keele.ac.uk Web: <http://www.scm.keele.ac.uk/staff/p_andras/> www.scm.keele.ac.uk/staff/p_andras/

Sept. 11, 2017

Energy Efficient Neural Code in Individual Neurons and Brain Circuits

by Yu, Yuguo

In collaboration with Frontiers in Neuroscience, section Neuroenergetics, Nutrition and Brain Health, we are organizing a Research Topic titled "Energy Efficient Neural Code in Individual Neurons and Brain Circuits", hosted by Yuguo Yu, Satish Iyengar. As host editor, I would like to encourage you to contribute to this topic. Please find more information about Research Topics below, including the publishing fees that apply. You can also visit the homepage we have created on the Frontiers website, which defines the focus of the topic, and where all published articles will appear. https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.frontiersin.org_Neu… Please note the submission deadline for this Research Topic: Oct 28, 2017 With your agreement to take part, I would request you submit an abstract in advance of any manuscript submission you choose to make (deadline identified at the homepage above). As I am using the Frontiers system to manage this topic, please first indicate your decision to participate by clicking on one of the following links. AGREE to Participate https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.frontiersin.org_Acc… DECLINE to Participate https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.frontiersin.org_Dec… Let me know if you have any questions about my Research Topic. I look forward to hearing from you soon. With best regards, Yuguo Yu Guest Associate Editor, Neuroenergetics, Nutrition and Brain Health www.frontiersin.org<http://www.frontiersin.org/> Frontiers | Peer Reviewed Articles - Open Access Journals<http://www.frontiersin.org/> www.frontiersin.org Open-access publisher of peer-reviewed scientific articles across the entire spectrum of academia. Research network for academics to stay up-to-date with the latest ... ABOUT FRONTIERS RESEARCH TOPICS Founded by scientists in 2007, Frontiers is a community-rooted open-access publisher, driving innovations in peer review, article-level metrics and research networking. The "Frontiers in" journal series hosts 54 journals covering more than 350 academic specialties, with a network of over 200,000 leading researchers worldwide. Frontiers is a registered member of the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.oaspa.org_member_Fr… ) and was recognized by the ALPSP Award for Innovation in Publishing in 2014. The idea behind a Frontiers Research Topic is to create a comprehensive collection of peer-reviewed articles that address a specific theme of research, as well as a forum for discussion and debate. Contributions can be articles describing original research, methods, hypothesis & theory, opinions, and more. Please see the relevant journal for a full list of accepted article types. Frontiers will also compile an e-book, as soon as all contributing articles are published, that can be used as educational material, be sent to foundations that fund your research, to journalists and press agencies, or to your professional network. E-books are free to read and download. Once published, your articles will be free to access for all readers, indexed in relevant repositories, and as an author in Frontiers, you retain the copyright to your own papers and figures. FRONTIERS PUBLISHING FEES Manuscripts accepted for publication are subject to publishing fees, which vary depending on the article type. Research Topic A type articles receive a discount on publishing fees; please see here for a full fee table, and further relevant FAQs: https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.frontiersin.org_abo… .=

Sept. 11, 2017

Software Development Engineer position on Brain Computer Interfaces at Inria, France

by Maureen Clerc

Dear colleagues, Please take note and circulate the following job offer. With apologies for multiple postings. Maureen Clerc ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ S oftware Development Engineer position available at Inria Sophia Antipolis, France Summary Inria Sophia Antipolis is seeking to a fill software development engineer position to work on Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI). The P300-speller BCI application developed at Inria Sophia Antipolis allows severely disabled patients to communicate using brain activity, measured through electroencephalography (EEG). It has shown excellent performance when tested extensively with 20 patients at Nice CHU. However it still requires some improvements to meet patients' expectations. This project, funded by patient associations, aims to bring BCI out of the lab, and deploy it to its end-users. Responsibilities • Analyze existing software. • Reduce dependencies on third-party libraries. • Automatize installation and calibration. • Study portability onto tablet. • Make application adaptable to users' needs. Qualification • Highly motivated to work on a translational project in Brain Computer Interfaces. • Masters degree in computer science or equivalent degree of knowledge. • Significant, demonstrable experience (at least four years) in C/C++ programming. • Experience with working in a Linux environment. • Familiarity with version management (Git, mercurial), compilers and compiling systems (cmake). • Familiarity with EEG and BCI would be appreciated. • Knowledge of graphical interfaces and visualization (OpenGL, Qt, Gtk) would be appreciated. Work environment Inria is a research institute dedicated to numerical sciences. In Sophia Antipolis (20 km from Nice), the Athena team develops methodology for non-invasive imaging of the Central Nervous System. In particular, it hosts a full-fledged Electroencephalography laboratory and investigates Brain-Computer Interfaces, in the context of the Inria Project-Lab bci-lift. Software development is organized within a development team including other software engineers and researchers, following agile development principles. Terms of salary and employment A 15-month renewable contract will be established. Salary will depend on diploma and experience. Applications including a cover letter, curriculum vitae and the names of two referees should be sent by September 30th 2017 to: Dr. Maureen Clerc at maureen.clerc(a)inria.fr More information about Inria and the Athena team can be found at: https://team.inria.fr/athena/

Sept. 8, 2017

Postdoctoral position in Camouflage Pattern Design and Eye-Tracking Experimentation

by Leslie Osborne

Postdoctoral position in Camouflage Pattern Design and Eye-Tracking Experimentation Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA Type: RESEARCH Position: FULL-TIME POST-DOCTORAL SCHOLAR Description: A position for a postdoctoral fellow in computational vision in biological systems is available to study visual camouflage in the Hanlon Lab at MBL, in collaboration with groups at UC Irvine (C. Chubb) and NTHU (C.C. Chiao) and the University of Chicago (S. Palmer and L. Osborne). The goal of the 3-year study is to develop a generative model of successful camouflage patterning and edge design, both at rest and in motion. Camouflage patterns will be inspired by natural animal behaviors, particularly in cephalopods - octopus, cuttlefish, squid – marine fishes, and insects. The postdoc will be involved in the statistical analysis of natural images and artists’ camouflage designs. Our approach is to use gaze tracking during visual search to define metrics of camouflage success and, complementarily, to measure the statistics of image features that draw human gaze. Visual stimuli for search tasks will be taken from natural image and video databases in the Hanlon and Palmer laboratories and artworks created by students at the Rhode Island School of Design. Human gaze tracking data will be collected and analyzed in the Osborne laboratory. The fellow may participate in data collection from live animals and human subjects, but the primary focus will be image and gaze data analysis. Education and Experience: The ideal candidate will have a background in computational analysis or computer vision, and a Ph.D. in computational biology (e.g. neuroscience, cognitive science, animal behavior), physics, computer science, or a related field. Programming experience in MATLAB is highly desirable. Experience in image and video analysis, and programming experience in Python or C, are also desirable. Previous experience in visual psychophysics is not required, but would be helpful. Environment: The Hanlon Laboratory is part of the Eugene Bell Center at the Marine Biology Laboratory. Founded in Woods Hole, Massachusetts in 1888, the MBL is a private, nonprofit institution and an affiliate of the University of Chicago. Utilizing unique and highly tractable marine and aquatic model organisms, high throughput and comparative genetic approaches, novel imaging technologies and the latest advances in data-intensive computational analysis, scientists in the Bell Center, in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Chicago and the Argonne National Laboratory, are providing answers to some of the most fundamental and intriguing questions in biology. The candidate will interact closely with: (i) the team at MBL (the PI and lab personnel); (ii) faculty collaborators at University of Chicago and UC Irvine; (iii) the summer neurobiology and imaging community at MBL; and (iv) art students and faculty at the Rhode Island School of Design. Duration: This position is for 2.5 years. Desired start date is 1 November 2017 or as soon thereafter as feasible. Web link to MBL job listing: https://mbl.simplehire.com/postings/search <https://mbl.simplehire.com/postings/search> Questions: Send inquiries to Roger Hanlon rhanlon(a)mbl.edu <mailto:rhanlon@mbl.edu> Stephanie Palmer sepalmer(a)uchicago.edu <mailto:sepalmer@uchicago.edu> Leslie Osborne osborne(a)uchicago.edu <mailto:osborne@uchicago.edu> Application: The application comprises a cover letter, CV, a 1-2 page description of past research experience, the contact information for 3 references. Follow links at https://mbl.simplehire.com/postings/search <https://mbl.simplehire.com/postings/search> to upload application materials. EEO Statement: MBL supports individuals in reaching their full potential by offering equal employment opportunities and an environment that actively values diversity. MBL complies with all applicable laws concerning hiring and employment practices and is firmly committed to maintaining a workplace free from discrimination by age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, genetic predisposition, national origin, military status, race, religion, or sexual orientation. MBL requires all newly-hired staff to undergo a background check. Background checks are conducted after a conditional offer of employment has been accepted by the applicant. Leslie C. Osborne, Ph.D. Department of Neurobiology Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy The University of Chicago 947 East 58th St. P415 Chicago IL 60637 osborne(a)uchicago.edu +1 773-834-7989

Sept. 7, 2017

Postdoc Position Available - Human Intracranial Electrophysiology

by Woolnough, Oscar

Postdoctoral Research Positions Available One postdoctoral research position is available at the NeuroImaging and Electrophysiology Lab (www.tandonlab.org) in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston. This position is funded by a recently awarded BRAIN Initiative U01 grant for which Dr. Tandon is the PI. The project uses electrocorticographic (ECoG) recordings on a large cohort (n=80) to evaluate psycho-linguistic models of reading and speech production with the goal being to create network level representation of language. Collaborators on the project with whom the post-doc will work closely are Nathan Crone (Hopkins), Greg Hickok (UCI), Stanislas Dehaene (College de France), Xaq Pitkow (Baylor) and Josh Breier (UT Houston). Project Description: This is a close multi center collaboration that brings together investigators with established track records in intracranial EEG (iEEG) recordings, neuroscience of language and computational neuroscience to better understand the uniquely human behavior of reading and producing language. More details about the U01 grant are online at NIH Reporter. The post-doc will benefit from a close interaction with several experts in the fields of reading, semantics, and speech production. Post-doc Responsibilities: The selected individual is expected to be a highly motivated, team player that has the passion to study cognitive processes using direct recordings in humans. He or she will be responsible for 1) optimizing and refining paradigms for use in the project, 2) data collection in the epilepsy monitoring unit and in the MRI scanner, 3) ECoG data analysis using analysis pipelines existent in the lab and via the development of innovative strategies, and 4) data presentation at conferences, manuscript and grant writing. Requirements: The selected individual must have a Ph.D. in one or more of the following - neuroscience, psychology, cognitive science, mathematics, electrical engineering or computer science. Previous experience in neural time series data analysis or functional imaging studies of reading or speech production is highly desirable. Crucial is the ability to independently code in either or all of the following – MATLAB, R or Python. Given the multiple unpredictable variables and privacy issues around data collection in human patients, the individual must possess high ethical and professionalism standards, be able to adapt to a changing environment, reorganize schedules dynamically, and work with tight deadlines. The individual must possess the ability to work effectively independently, yet collaborate effectively on projects with multiple investigators. A strong publication record and excellent prior academic credentials are highly desirable. If you are interested, you can email us at nitin.tandon(a)uth.tmc.edu or call us at (713) 500-5475.

Sept. 7, 2017

[publication and call for dialog] IEEE CIS Newsletter on Cognitive and Developmental Systems, 14(1), 2017

by Pierre-Yves Oudeyer

Dear colleagues, I am happy to announce the release of the latest issue of the IEEE CIS Newsletter on Cognitive and Developmental Systems (open access). This is a biannual newsletter addressing the sciences of developmental and cognitive processes in natural and artificial organisms, from humans to robots, at the crossroads of cognitive science, developmental psychology, artificial intelligence and neuroscience. It is available at: http://goo.gl/dyrg6s Featuring dialog: === "Exploring Robotic Minds by Predictive Coding Principle" == Dialog initiated by Jun Tani with responses from: Andy Clark, Doug Blank, James Marshall, Lisa Meeden, Stephane Doncieux, Giovanni Pezzulo, Martin Butz, Ezgi Kayhan, Johan Kwisthout and Karl Friston == Topic: The idea that the brain is pro-actively making predictions of the future at multiple levels of hierarchy has become a central topic to explain human intelligence and to design general artificial intelligence systems. This dialog discusses whether hierarchical predictive coding enables a paradigm shift in development robotics and AI. In particular, the dialog reviews the importance of various complementary mechanisms to predictive coding, which happen to be right now very actively researched in artificial intelligence: intrinsic motivation and curiosity, multi-goal learning, developmental stages (also called curriculum learning in machine learning), and the role of self-organization. They also underline several major challenges that need to be addressed for general artificial intelligence in autonomous robots, and that current research in deep learning fails to address: 1) the problem of the poverty of stimulus: autonomous robots, like humans, have access to only little data as they have to collect it themselves with severe time and space constraints; 2) the problem of information sampling: which experiments/observations to make to improve one’s world model. Finally, they also discuss the issue of how these mechanisms arise in infants and participate to their development. Call for new dialog: === "One Developmental Cognitive Architecture to Rule Them All?" == Dialog initiated by Matthias Rolf, Lorijn Zaadnoordijk, Johan Kwisthout == This new dialog asks whether and how it would be useful both epistemologically and in practice to aim towards the development of a “standard integrated cognitive architecture”, akin to “standard models” in physics. In par- ticular, they ask this question in the context of understanding development in infants, and of building developmental architectures, thus addressing the issue of architectures that not only learn, but that are adaptive themselves. Those of you interested in reacting to this dialog initiation are welcome to sub- mit a response by November 30th, 2017. The length of each response must be between 600 and 800 words including references (contact pierre-yves.oudeyer(a)inria.fr) Let me remind you that all issues of the newsletter are all open-access and available at: http://icdl-epirob.org/cdsnl I wish you a stimulating reading! Best regards, Pierre-Yves Oudeyer, Editor of the IEEE CIS Newsletter on Cognitive and Developmental Systems Chair of the IEEE CIS AMD Technical Committee on Cognitive and Developmental Systems Research director, Inria Head of Flowers project-team Inria and Ensta ParisTech, France http://www.pyoudeyer.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/pyoudeyer and Fabien Benureau Assistant Editor Inria Mnemosyne team http://fabien.benureau.com

Sept. 7, 2017

workshop on high performance computing in neuroscience

by Ted Carnevale

This year the workshop on the Neuroscience Gateway Portal (NSG) will be held on Saturday, Nov. 11, from 9 AM to noon in downtown Washington DC near the convention center, as a satellite to the Society for Neuroscience meeting. This workshop will show you how to use this NSF-supported resource in your computationally- intensive modeling and data analysis projects. It will also feature presentations from neuroscientists on how they are using high performance computing (HPC) resources in their own research. The NSG has a simple, convenient browser-based interface for running simulations and data analysis tasks on HPC hardware, and provides free CPU time. It also has a RESTful interface for programmatic access. Currently installed software includes BluePyOpt, Brian, CARLsim, Freesurfer, GENESIS, MATLAB, MOOSE, NEST, NEURON, PyNN, and the Virtual Personalized Multimodal Connectome Pipeline. The registration deadline for this workshop is Friday Oct. 27, but you should register soon because space is limited. See http://www.neuron.yale.edu/neuron/static/courses/nsg2017/nsg2017.html for more information and a link to the registration form. --Ted

Sept. 5, 2017

workshop announcement - Experimental and Theoretical Analysis of Cortical Dynamics - Rovereto Italy

by Stefano Panzeri

The HBP Partnering Project SloW Dyn <https://www.flagera.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/FLAG-ERA_JTC2015_Project_…>, a FLAG-ERA <https://www.flagera.eu>Project, in collaboration with the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia <http://cncs.iit.it/> and in collaboration with the EITN <https://www.eitn.org/> (European Institute of Theoretical Neuroscience, Human Brain Project) are organizing a one day workshop on: *Experimental and Theoretical Analysis of Cortical Dynamics* Location: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Corso Bettini 31, Rovereto, Italy Date and time: Friday September 22nd, 2017, from 9am to 6pm *Abstract:* Brain function is hypothesized to emerge from the concerted context-dependent dynamics of its networks. This workshop explores theoretical and experimental approaches for the analysis of brain dynamics at multiple spatial and temporal scales. *Confirmed speakers*: Ruth Benavides-Piccione, Cajal Institute, Madrid Maurizio Corbetta, University of Padova Egidio D'Angelo, University of Pavia Alain Destexhe CNRS, Paris Tommaso Fellin IIT, Genoa Mathieu Galtier, Rhythm, Paris Alessandro Gozzi, IIT, Rovereto Maurizio Mattia ISS, Rome Ruben Moreno-Bote, UPF, Barcelona Stefano Panzeri IIT, Rovereto Mavi Sanchez-Vives, IDIBAPS, Barcelona Davide Zoccolan, SISSA, Trieste Hosts: Stefano Panzeri and Tommaso Fellin Attendance is free, but prior registration is needed. For registration and more information, please email slowdynconference(a)gmail.com regards Stefano Panzeri

Sept. 5, 2017

REMINDER: Computational Neuroscience Job at the Krembil Research Institute

by Frances Skinner

Hello all, Just a reminder about the following Faculty position in Computational Neuroscience (see below). *To ensure consideration, please submit your application by September 11th for the latest.* Thank you. --------- https://www.recruitingsite.com/csbsites/uhncareers/JobDescri ption.asp?SiteID=10031&JobNumber=805761 Job Posting #8045761 Position: Computational Neuroscience Research Scientist Site: Krembil Research Institute/Toronto Western Hospital Department: Research Reports to: Director Status: Permanent Full-time The Krembil Research Institute at the University Health Network in Toronto Canada invites applicants to apply for a Scientist position in the area of Computational Neuroscience. The ideal candidate will have a PhD in a relevant field, research expertise and experience in mathematical and computational modeling, and research interests that complement those of the Institute in neurobiology and neurodegeneration. Candidates whose research interests encompasses cellular, micro/macro circuits and/or large scale brain models, and who have collaborative experimental experience are especially encouraged. The successful candidate will have the ability to establish an independent, well-funded program and will be eligible for appointment at the appropriate level within the University of Toronto. The Krembil is one the principal research institutes of the University Health Network of academic teaching hospitals associated with the University of Toronto; the Krembil is also one of the largest research institutes in Canada focusing on human neurological disease from both a basic science and clinical research perspective. The University Health Network (UHN) is Canada's largest academic medical centre, comprising four major teaching hospitals. Qualified applicants must attach their letter of interest, research plan, resume PDF format to the online application and complete some initial screening questions. The search committee will begin to review applications in September with a potential start date in Winter 2018. Posted Date: June 22, 2017 Closing Date: Until filled UHN thanks all applicants, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. UHN is a respectful, caring, and inclusive workplace. We are committed to championing accessibility, diversity and equal opportunity. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage of the recruitment process providing the applicant has met the Bona-fide requirements for the open position. Applicants need to make their requirements known when contacted. -- Frances Skinner, PhD Krembil Research Institute/UHN and Univ Toronto www.skinnerlab.org

Sept. 5, 2017

Postdoctoral Researcher Position

by Avrama Blackwell

The Computational and Experimental Neuroplasticity laboratory (http://krasnow1.gmu.edu/CENlab/avrama.html) of Kim “Avrama” Blackwell at George Mason University invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research position / software engineer beginning Sept 1, 2017. The successful candidate will contribute to ongoing cutting-edge research in computational systems biology & neuroscience by further development of our stochastic reaction-diffusion software, NeuroRD and further development of parameter optimization software. The position involves design and implementation of new features for both softwares, providing technical support to lab members developing NeuroRD models and investigating the role of calcium dynamics and cell signaling pathways in learning and plasticity, and writing journal articles and giving presentations on the new software features. CENlab is an interdisciplinary, dynamic and creative research group at Mason’s Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study, located in northern Virginia (15 miles west of Washington, D.C.). Requirements: Ph.D. in a relevant field (e.g. computer science, physics, bioinformatics, engineering) and at least one publication in reputable journal. Experience in software development (scientific software, python and C++ or JAVA preferred). Expertise with Unix operating systems. Knowledge of stochastic processes. To apply, please send curriculum vitae and cover letter to kblackw1(a)gmu.edu. Position will be filled as soon as a suitable candidate is found. The successful applicant will have office space, a unix computer workstation, and a post-doctoral level salary supplemented by excellent state employee benefits. More information: * NeuroRD website: https://github.com/neurord * Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study: http://krasnow1.gmu.edu * George Mason University: http://www.gmu.edu George Mason University is an innovative, entrepreneurial institution with national distinction in a range of academic fields. Enrollment is 30,000, with students studying in over 150 degree programs at campuses in Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William. George Mason University is an equal opportunity employer encouraging diversity.

Sept. 5, 2017

Open position: Research scientist in the field of data analysis

by Orth, Boris

The Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC) operates one of the most powerful supercomputing infrastructures in Europe and makes it available to researchers at Forschungszentrum Jülich, in Germany and throughout Europe. The JSC’s “Federated Systems and Data” division develops software for data analysis, data management and access to distributed storage and computing systems. The “Simulation Laboratory Neuroscience” in the “High Performance Computing in Neuroscience” division of JSC provides community-specific support for neuroscientists with respect to complex simulations and data analyses on supercomputers, as well as their methods. Both divisions closely collaborate within the “Helmholtz Analytics Framework”. We are looking to recruit a Research scientist in the field of data analysis Your Job: In many scientific disciplines, the analysis of large data sets plays a crucial role. As part of a team in JSC, you will be working interdisciplinary with scientists from other institutes of Forschungszentrum Jülich, as well as from other Helmholtz Centres, in the areas of Earth System Modelling, Structural Biology, Aerospace, Medical Imaging and Neuroscience. In particular, you will analyse, develop and optimize analysis methods and workflows applied in neuroimaging. On this basis, you will support research groups in sharing their methods and tools, and in deriving generic methods and tools. Your Profile: * A university degree in computer science, mathematics, or a related subject * Profound knowledge and experience in algorithm development * Experience in software development and programming with languages such as Python, C++, R * Knowledge and experience with methods like multivariate statistics, error analysis, machine learning, inference approaches * Interest to collaborate closely with developers and users from academia and industry * Strong proactivity * Good command of spoken and written English and ideally German Ideally, good knowledge of * Scripting languages common in the Unix environment (Bash) * Parallel programming (MPI, OpenMP) * Common programming tools and software distribution systems (e.g., Docker, Easybuild) * Analysis of large neuroimaging datasets as well as the relevant software packages (e.g., FSL, FreeSurfer, MRtrix) Our Offer: * Excellent research and computing infrastructure of one of the largest research centres in Europe, ideally situated between the cities of Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Aachen * A comprehensive further training programme, including English language courses * Flexible working hours and various opportunities to reconcile work and family life * Limited for 3 years with possible longer-term prospects * Full-time position with the option of slightly reduced working hours * Salary and social benefits in conformity with the provisions of the Collective Agreement for the Civil Service (TVöD). Forschungszentrum Jülich aims to employ more women in this area and therefore particulary welcomes applications from women. We also welcome applications from disabled persons. We look forward to receiving your application, preferably online<https://www.hrecruiting.de/obf2/bewerbermanagement.php?kunden_nr=t5ChjatkIf…> via our online recruitment system on our career site, quoting the reference number 2017-194. Contact Human Resource Development and Recruiting Judith Dresen Tel.:+49 2461 61 9700 -- Dr. Boris Orth HPC in Neuroscience Jülich Supercomputing Centre Institute for Advanced Simulation Tel +49 2461 61-9123 Fax +49 2461 61-6656 www.fz-juelich.de/ias/jsc<http://www.fz-juelich.de/ias/jsc> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Dr. Karl Eugen Huthmacher Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Prof. Dr. Sebastian M. Schmidt ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sept. 5, 2017

ANDA 2018 - G-Node Advanced Neural Data Analysis Course, March 5 - 22, 2018, Jülich, Germany

by Frings, Maren

ANDA 2018 - G-Node Advanced Neural Data Analysis Course March 5 - 22, 2018 Haus Overbach, Juelich-Barmen, Germany Techniques to record neuronal data from populations of neurons are rapidly improving. Simultaneous recordings from hundreds of channels are possible while animals perform complex behavioral tasks. The analysis of such massive and complex data becomes increasingly challenging. This advanced course aims at providing deeper training in state-of-the-art analysis approaches in systems neuroscience. The course is addressed to excellent master and PhD students and young researchers who are interested in learning advanced techniques in data analytics and in getting hands-on experience in the analysis of electrophysiological data. Internationally renowned researchers will give lectures on statistical data analysis and data mining methods with accompanying exercises. Students will define and perform their own analyses on provided data to solve a challenge. Participants are required to have a strong interest in data analysis, a background in a mathematical or related field, knowledge of algebra, matrix operations, and statistics, and need to have solid programming experience (preferably in Python). Date and Venue March 5 - 22, 2018 Haus Overbach, Juelich-Barmen, Germany Faculty · Moshe Abeles, Bar-Ilan Univ, Israel · Michael Denker, Juelich Research Center and RWTH Aachen Univ, Germany · Alain Destexhe, CNRS, Gif sur Yvette, France · Sonja Grün, Juelich Research Center and RWTH Aachen Univ, Germany · Björn Kampa, RWTH Aachen, Germany · Christian Machens, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Portugal · Martin Nawrot, University of Cologne, Germany · Yifat Prut, Hebrew Univ Jerusalem, Israel · Alexa Riehle, CNRS, Marseille, France · Jonathan Victor, Weill Cornell Medical College, USA · Thomas Wachtler, G-Node, LMU Munich, Germany Topics covered Single neuron properties and statistics · Stochastic processes · Surrogate methods · Detection of spatio-temporal patterns · Unitary Events · Statistical analysis of massively parallel spike data · Higher-order correlation analyses · Spike-LFP relationship · Population coding · State space analysis · Machine learning · Data mining · Data management, reproducibility, data sharing · Elephant toolbox Requirements Applicants should be familiar with linear algebra, probability, differential and integral calculus and experienced using Python or Matlab. Preparatory reading material will be provided. Students should bring their own laptops and should be able to install software on their system. Students that do not have a suitable laptop should indicate this immediately after acceptance to the course. We will be able to provide a small number of laptops for the time of the course. Course Fee A course fee of 800 Euros will be charged to accepted students. The course fee contributes to covering accommodation and meals, including coffee breaks. A few stipends will be available to support students with documented need of funding. Housing Accommodation in 2-bed rooms for students will be provided at the course site. How to apply The application should include · a letter of motivation (max 1 page) · curriculum vitae (please indicate the relevant courses you have taken) · description of programming experience · a letter of recommendation. Please send all documents as a single PDF file to <advanced-course(a)g-node.org<mailto:advanced-course@g-node.org>>. Deadlines Applications must be received by October 15, 2017. Early application is encouraged because number of participants is limited. For further information see https://portal.g-node.org/advanced-course-2018/ Organizers · Sonja Grün, Juelich Research Center and RWTH Aachen Univ, Germany · Martin Nawrot, University of Cologne, Germany · Thomas Wachtler, G-Node, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany Dr. Maren Frings Scientific Coordinator Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-6) Computational and Systems Neuroscience & Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-6) Theoretical Neuroscience Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH and JARA 52425 Jülich, Germany Building 15.22 Room 4004 Phone +49 2461 61-9468 Fax +49 2461 61-9460 m.frings(a)fz-juelich.de<mailto:m.frings@fz-juelich.de> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH 52425 Juelich Sitz der Gesellschaft: Juelich Eingetragen im Handelsregister des Amtsgerichts Dueren Nr. HR B 3498 Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: MinDir Dr. Karl Eugen Huthmacher Geschaeftsfuehrung: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Marquardt (Vorsitzender), Karsten Beneke (stellv. Vorsitzender), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Bolt, Prof. Dr. Sebastian M. Schmidt ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sept. 5, 2017

Bernstein 2017 Workshop, "The Neural Code: Universal Grammar or Area-Specific Mechanisms?"

by Hazem Toutounji

Dear Colleagues, We would like to draw your attention to the upcoming workshop *The Neural Code: Universal Grammar or Area-Specific Mechanisms?* at the *Bernstein Conference 2017*, which will take place preceding the conference on *September 12-13* in *Göttingen, Germany*. *Abstract:* The brain responds to sensory stimuli with complex, yet structured, patterns of action potentials, which in turn gives rise to perception, action, remembrance and other facets of the organism's mental life. Finding order in the complexity of neural activity, and the quest for the neural code, occupied much of both experimental and theoretical neuroscience in the last decades. Several general theories of how the brain might encode and transfer information have been suggested, partly backed by experimental evidence. Attractor dynamics, binding by synchrony, brain oscillations acting at multiple temporal scales and Bayesian coding are some of the more prominent proposals into this direction. The debate whether these strategies are different facets of a fundamental neural grammar, or are local codes within functionally distinct brain regions, is far from settled. The aim of the workshop is to bring together experts in the field of neural coding, in order to discuss basic mechanisms of information encoding and the deeper question of whether there is a unifying grammar of neural representations. Schedule: Tue, Sept 12, 2017 13:00 Damian Battaglia, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France *Do oscillations modulate information processing? From routing states to computing modes* 13:45 Mattia Rigotti, Physical Sciences Department, IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY *Functional role of the dimensionality of neural responses* 14:30 General discussion 15:00 Coffee Break 15:30 Máté Lengyel, University of Cambridge, UK *A sampling-based neural code of uncertainty in V1 (and I bet elsewhere, too)* 16:15 Nicolas Brunel, University of Chicago, Chicago, USA *Statistics of connectivity in networks optimizing information storage: fixed point attractors vs sequences* 17:00 Misha Tsodyks, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel *Population spikes codes for processing and working memory* 17:45 General discussion Wed, Sept 13, 2017 9:00 Stefano Panzeri, Neural Computation Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy *The relationship between cross-cell coupling and the timescales of population coding across cortex* 9:45 Thilo Womelsdorf, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA *Neural coding and inter-areal integration of goal-relevant information using spike bursts* 10:30 *Coffee break* 11:00 Pascal Fries, Ernst Strüngmann Institute for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society, Frankfurt am Main, Germany *Rhythms for Cognition: Communication through Coherence* 11:45 Genaral discussion Kind regards, Eleonora Russo and Hazem Toutounji -- Dr. rer. nat. Hazem Toutounji Postdoctoral Researcher in Theoretical Neuroscience Central Institute of Mental Health Medical Faculty Mannheim of Heidelberg University Square J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany office: +49-621-1703-2366

Sept. 4, 2017

PhD Opportunities in the Department of Cognitive Sciences at the University of California, Irvine

by Jeff Krichmar

Dear colleagues, The Department of Cognitive Sciences at the University of California, Irvine is seeking graduate students for admission in Fall 2018. We invite exceptional and highly motivated candidates to apply for full-time PhD research in computational neuroscience, machine learning, computational vision, neural networks, and neurorobotics. Students will have the opportunity to work in the Cognitive Anteater Robotics laboratory (PI: Jeff Krichmar), the Neuromorphic Machine Intelligence laboratory (PI: Emre Neftci), and the newly established Visual Perception laboratory (PI: Zyg Pizlo) at UC Irvine. For more information about ongoing research see: · http://www3.psych.purdue.edu/~zpizlo/ · http://nmi-lab.org/ · http://www.socsci.uci.edu/~jkrichma/CARL/ Projects include: · Cognitive robotics for decision-making, planning, perception, and memory. · Efficient coding in the brain. · Models of neuromodulation. · Neurobiologically inspired vision models. · Models of human problem solving. · Neuromorphic engineering and machine learning · Spike-based computation Applicants should have strong mathematical and computer programming skills, as well as good communication skills. Successful applicants will receive funding toward their Ph.D. for at least 5 years. Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. UCI has more than 30,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $5 billion annually to the local economy. For more information about the Cognitive Sciences graduate program, please see: http://www.cogsci.uci.edu/graduate/index.php Jeff Krichmar Professor Department of Cognitive Sciences University of California, Irvine Email: jkrichma(a)uci.edu Website: http://www.socsci.uci.edu/~jkrichma Emre Neftci, PhD (ETH Zurich) Assistant Professor Neuromorphic Machine Intelligence Lab (http://nmi-lab.org/) Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of California, Irvine Email: eneftci(a)uci.edu Zygmunt Pizlo Professor Falmagne Endowed Chair in Mathematical Psychology Department of Cognitive Sciences University of California, Irvine Email: zpizlo(a)uci.edu

Sept. 4, 2017

[Extended Deadline-CFP] - HAI 2017 Workshop: Representation Learning for Human and Robot Cognition

by Amir Aly

CALL FOR PAPERS **Apologies for cross posting ** The full day workshop: "*Representation Learning for Human and Robot Cognition*" In conjunction with the *5th International Conference on Human-Agent Interaction* *- Bielefeld - Germany - October * *17th, 2017* *Webpage: **http://cognitive-mirroring.org/en/events/hai2017_workshop/* <http://cognitive-mirroring.org/en/events/hai2017_workshop/> *I. Aim and Scope *Creating intelligent and interactive robots has been subject to extensive research studies. They are rapidly moving to the center of human environment so that they collaborate with human users in different applications, which requires high-level cognitive functions so as to allow them to understand and learn from human behavior. To this end, an important challenge that attracts much attention in cognitive science and artificial intelligence, is the “Symbol Emergence” problem, which investigates the bottom-up development of symbols through social interaction. This research line employs representation learning based models for understanding language and action in a developmentally plausible manner so as to make robots able to behave appropriately on their own. This could open the door to robots to understand syntactic formalisms and semantic references of human speech, and to associate language knowledge to perceptual knowledge so as to successfully collaborate with human users in space. Another interesting approach to study representation learning is “Cognitive Mirroring”, which refers to artificial systems that could make cognitive processes observable, such as the models that could learn concepts of objects, actions, and/or emotions from humans through interaction. A key idea of this approach is that robots learn individual characteristics of human cognition rather than acquiring a general representation of cognition. In this way, the characteristics of human cognition become observable and can be measured as modifications in model parameters, which is difficult to verify through neuroscience studies only. In this workshop, we invite researchers in artificial intelligence, cognitive science, cognitive robotics, and neuroscience to share their knowledge and research findings on representation learning, and to engage in cutting-edge discussions with other experienced researchers so as to help promoting this research line in the Human-Agent Interaction (HAI) community. *II. Keynote Speakers * 1. *Beata Joanna Grzyb *– Radboud University – The Netherlands 2. *Thomas Hermann*– Bielefeld University – Germany 3. *Tetsuya Ogata *– Waseda University – Japan 4. *Erhan Oztop *– Ozyegin Universiy – Turkey 5. * Stefan Wermter *– University of Hamburg – Germany *III. Submission * 1. For paper submission, use the following EasyChair web link: *Paper Submission <https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=rlhrc2017>*. 2. Use the ACM SIGCHI format: *ACM SIGCHI Templates <http://www.sigchi.org/publications/chipubform>*. 3. Submitted papers should be limited to 2-4 pages maximum. The primary list of topics covers the following points (but not limited to): - Computational model for high-level cognitive capabilities - Predictive learning from sensorimotor information - Multimodal interaction and concept formulation - Human-robot communication and collaboration based on machine learning - Learning supported by external trainers by demonstration and imitation - Bayesian modeling - Learning with hierarchical and deep architectures - Interactive reinforcement learning * IV. Important Dates * 1. Paper submission: *15-September-2017* 2. Notification of acceptance: *25-September-2017* 3. Camera-ready version: *5-**October-2017* 4. Workshop: *17-October-2017* *V. Organizers * 1. *Takato Horii *– Osaka University – Japan 2. *Amir Aly *– Ritsumeikan University – Japan 3. *Yukie Nagai *– National Institute of Information and Communications Technology – Japan 4. * Takayuki Nagai *– The University of Electro-Communications – Japan -- *Amir Aly, Ph.D.* Senior Researcher Emergent Systems Laboratory College of Information Science and Engineering Ritsumeikan University 1-1-1 Noji Higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577 Japan

Sept. 4, 2017

Bernstein 2017 workshop: "Information transmission and communication in brain circuits"

by alireza valizadeh

Dear All, We would like to draw your attention to the half day workshop *"Information transmission and communication in brain circuits"* at Bernstein Conference 2017, Sep 13, Göttingen, Germany. *Abstract:* The question of how the brain integrates the mutiplicity of local processes dispersed through its entire anatomy is a fundamental question in neuroscience. Any single cognitive function may involve several specialized areas whose association is mediated by the functional integration among them. Such integration is mediated by information exchange between brain areas through the routes which can change in fast timescales over which the structure is fixed, providing a flexible effective connectivity despite the rigidity of the infrastructure over fast timescales. The flexibility of the information routing and dynamic effective connectivity are a consequence of the multistability of the collective dynamics of the brain networks. In other words, a single structural connectivity can support plenty of degenerate dynamical states for each of which a special pattern of information transfer between the nodes is observed. Neuronal collective oscillations are hypothesized to provide such a basis for the dynamics communication between brain regions. Several lines of experimental evidences and theoretical arguments indicate that the phase relations between the oscillations of different brain regions can alter effective connectivity by modulating the gain of mutual influence between them. In this workshop the notion of information transfer in brain circuits and the role of brain rhythms in providing a dynamic effective communication network will be reviewed and the latest theoretical and experimental achievements will be presented. *Speakers:* - Wolf Singer (Max Planck Institute), - Mark Timme (Max Planck Institute) - Demian Battaglia (Aix-Marseille University) - Christoph Kirst (The Rockefeller University) - Santiago Canals (Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante) - Raul Vicente (University of Tartu) - Leonardo Gollo (QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute) - Alireza Valizadeh (Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences) *Website:* http://www.nncn.de/en/bernstein-conference/2017/satellite-workshops/informa… Best regards, Alireza Valizadeh, Claudio Mirasso ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alireza Valizadeh Associate professor Neurophysics lab, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS) School of cognitive sciences, Institute for research in fundamental sciences (IPM) Iran Tel:(+98) 24 3315 2120 Fax:(+98) 24 3315 2104 valizade(a)iasbs.ac.ir Web: http://www.iasbs.ac.ir/~valizade/index.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sept. 4, 2017

CfPs Journal of Integrative Neuroscience: Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology

by Reinoud Maex

Call for Papers Special issue of the Journal of Integrative Neuroscience on Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology Guest Editors: R.J. Martis, H. Lin, E. Barakova and Y. Zeng BRAIN-INSPIRED INTELLIGENCE TECHNOLOGY Brain-inspired intelligence technology aims to showcase the principles and mechanisms of human intelligence through development of brain-inspired intelligent systems. It is an effort to extract, integrate and analyse these principles and mechanisms across scale from quantum neuroscience to cognitive science research in pioneering the next wave of sentient technologies. The special issue is unprecedented, showcasing brain-inspired technology beyond 2020. Deadline for submission:25 November 2017 How to Submit: Authors are requested to submit their manuscript via the submission system available at http://msTracker.com/submit1.php?jc=jin In the “Cover Letter” box please indicate you are submitting your paper to the special issue on Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology Topics of relevance include: * Biophysical neural networks * Brain-inspired cognitive models * Wetware design * Neurophotonics * Elemental conscious constructs * Quantum entanglement in agents * Cognitive technology supporting brain-inspired intelligence * Brain connectome based on optical nanoscopy technology * Observer-independent intelligence * Pico-scale resolution patch-clamping * Brain-inspired super and general artificial intelligence * New deep neural networks for brain-inspired learning * Brain-inspired intelligent hardware infrastructures * Cognitive neurorobotics For more information contact: Yi Zeng, Ph.D Deputy Director Research Center for Brain-inspired Intelligence Institute of Automation Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China, 100190 Email: yi.zeng(a)ia.ac.cn see also http://www.iospress.nl/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/CfP_Brain-Inspired_Intell…

Sept. 2, 2017

APA Technology, Mind, & Society Conference - Submissions due Oct 20

by Jeff Krichmar

Dear Colleagues, This upcoming APA conference on Technology, Mind, & Society may be of interest to many of you. Visit: http://www.apascience.org/conference/index.html The American Psychological Association will hold an interdisciplinary conference on Technology, Mind, and Society in Washington, D.C., on April 5-7, 2018. Scientists, practitioners, policymakers, and students from around the world are invited to participate in the event. The conference will provide a venue for reporting and assessing current efforts to understand and shape the interactions of human beings and technology, for identifying priorities for future work, and for promoting exchange and collaboration among participants. The conference will feature four keynote speakers: Cynthia Breazeal (MIT), Justine Cassell (Carnegie Mellon), Eric Horvitz (Microsoft Research), and Sandy Pentland (MIT). APA invites you and your colleagues and students to submit papers, symposia, and posters for this conference, which will be organized around the following broad themes: • Basic research: How humans understand and use technology, impacts of technology on human experience and behavior, human-technology interactions as mutually adaptive systems, role of technology in advancing other areas of scientific research, and related topics. • Foundations of technology design: Development of technologies informed by psychological, behavioral, and social science research. • Applications: Development, use, and impact of specific technologies in domains such as aging, education, mental and physical health, recreation, and the workplace. • Broader implications: Ethical and policy questions concerning the opportunities and challenges arising from human-technology interactions. The deadline for submissions is October 20, 2017. Submissions can be made here: https://www.openconf.org/APAScience2018TMS/openconf.php The conference is open to researchers, professionals, and students in all relevant areas, including psychology and other behavioral and social sciences, neuroscience, computer science, engineering, design, health research, education research, city and regional planning, public policy, history of science and technology, and philosophy. The conference aims to address the full range of contemporary and emerging technologies. These include but are not limited to artificial intelligence, robotics, mobile devices, social media, virtual/augmented reality, gaming, geographic information systems, autonomous vehicles, and biomedical technologies (e.g., brain-machine interfaces, genetic engineering). APA is sponsoring the conference in cooperation with the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) and the Association for Computing Machinery — Special Interest Group for Computer-Human Interaction (ACM SIGCHI). We look forward to seeing you at the Technology, Mind, and Society Conference! For additional information, see the conference website. If you have any questions, please contact the APA Science Directorate (science(a)apa.org) Jeff Krichmar Department of Cognitive Sciences 2328 Social & Behavioral Sciences Gateway University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA 92697-5100 jkrichma(a)uci.edu http://www.socsci.uci.edu/~jkrichma

Sept. 2, 2017

Scientist I/II - Computational Neuroscience at Allen Institute for Brain Science

by Stefan Mihalas

POSITION SUMMARY We are seeking to fill a position at the level of Scientist to work on coarse-grained models of cortical networks aiming to understand how the observed structure and activity gives relate to cortical computations necessary for visual processing (e.g. figure ground segregation, integration of context). We use mouse vision as a model system and this position will focus on using population statistics (http://alleninstitute.github.io/dipde/) and filter neuron model simulation tools. More specifically, the scientist will work on (i) fitting network models with simple neurons which network structures are consistent with the observed mesoscopic connectivity and in vivo cellular activity, (ii) simulate the activity of such networks at neuronal an population levels and (iii) analyzing the relation between observed network structure and that predicted from different models of cortical computations. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES * Participate in team efforts to find network parameters which are consistent with activity (http://observatory.brain-map.org/visualcoding/) and connectivity (http://connectivity.brain-map.org/) data. * Simulate cortical networks parameterized from experimental data using population and simplified neuron model simulation tools. * Analyze how computations in vision (e.g. figure/ground segregation, integration of context) result from networks similar to those simulated. * Interact with groups performing simulations at other levels of resolution and with experimental groups. * Maintain clear and accurate communication with supervisor and team members. * Publish/present findings in peer-reviewed journals/scientific conferences. BASIC QUALIFICATIONS SCIENTIST I * PhD degree in computational neuroscience, physics, mathematics, applied mathematics or related field. * Strong background in scientific computing is required. * Experience in computational neuroscience is preferred. SCIENTIST II * PhD degree in computational neuroscience, physics, mathematics, applied mathematics or related field. * 4+ years of postdoctoral experience in computational science * Preferred Computational neuroscience * Strong background in scientific computing is required. * Strong publication record. Preferred Qualifications: * Ability to meet aggressive timelines and deliverables in a collaborative environment. * Proven independent thinking and flexibility. * Strong written and verbal communication skills * Experience in pursuing research projects in collaborative fashion. Our mission at the Allen Institute for Brain Science is to accelerate the understanding of how the human brain works in health and disease. By implementing a team science approach on a large scale, we strive to generate useful public resources, drive technological innovations and discover fundamental brain properties through integration of experiments, modeling and theory. To apply please visit https://www.alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/brain-science/careers/job-search/. Applications will be considered on an ongoing basis. Apologies for coss-posting, Stefan Mihalas Assistant Investigator Allen Institute for Brain Science www.alleninstitute.org<http://www.alleninstitute.org/> Affiliate Assistant Professor Department of Applied Mathematics University of Washington

Sept. 1, 2017

5th Baltic-Nordic School on Neuroinformatics (BNNI 2017)

by Marja-Leena Linne

5th Baltic-Nordic School on Neuroinformatics BNNI 2017 Theoretical modelling of brain functions in neurological and psychiatric disorders: Advancing future neuroscience and medicine through Neuroinformatics methods Place: Neuroscience Institute Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Eiveniu str.4, Kaunas Lithuania Time: 6-7 October 2017 More information and applications at: web.lsmuni.lt/bnni/en Important dates: 10 September 2017: Application deadline 12 September 2017: Acceptance notification 6-7 October 2017: School We invite advanced master students, doctoral students, and postdoctoral researchers to participate in the BNNI 2017 to be held at the Neuroscience Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania. The course is interdisciplinary and covers modeling at different levels of organization of the brain, focusing on neurological and psychiatric disorders. The course combines lectures, tutorials and computer exercises. This school is the fifth in the series of the Baltic-Nordic Courses on Neuroinformatics (BNNI 2013 in Kaunas, Lithuania; BNNI 2014 in Tampere, Finland; BNNI 2015 in Tartu, Estonia; BNNI in Warsaw 2016, Poland). The target audience of the course will be advanced master students, doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers in biomedical and technology sciences, from medicine, biology, psychology, to mathematics, informatics, information technology, physics, chemistry, who would like to get an introduction to neuroinformatics and computational neuroscience. Some experience with programming and quantitative reasoning as well as strong interest in computational and mathematical modeling of the brain will be desirable but not necessary to benefit from the school. Last year we had participants from 14 countries all over the world! Faculty includes: Marja-Leena Linne, Tampere University of Technology, Finland; The Human Brain Project Bruce Graham, University of Stirling, UK Daniel Wojcik, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland Arnd Roth, University College London, UK Peter Jedlicka, NeuroScience Center, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany Tuomo Mäki-Marttunen, Simula Research Laboratory, Oslo, Norway Inga Griskova-Bulanova, Institute of Bioscience, Vilnius University, Lithuania Rima Naginiene, Neuroscience Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania Andrius Radziunas, Department of Neurosurgery, Medical Academy, and Neuroscience Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania Ausra Saudargiene, Neuroscience Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, and Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania and others. Venue: The lectures will be held at the Neuroscience Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Eivenių str. 4, Kaunas, Lithuania Practical arrangements: There is a small tuition fee of 50 euros. The organizers will provide teaching materials, meals and coffee during the course. The participants are expected to cover their travel and health insurance expenses as well as lodging. The course is supported by the Research Council of Lithuania and Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. We are looking forward to welcoming you at the BNNI 2017 in Kaunas, Lithuania!

Sept. 1, 2017

Doctoral student position - Robot-assisted modeling of spatial navigation paradigms in biological organisms - DEADLINE EXTENDED

by samarasinghe＠ini.rub.de

Please note that the deadline for applications to the position below has been extended to *15.09.2017*. *Research **Position **at the Institute for Neural Compu**ta**ti**o**n * A position as *d**octoral student **in integrative **n**euroscience and **c**ognitive **s**cience *is available immediately in the group of Prof. Sen Cheng in the Institute for Neural Computation at the Ruhr University Bochum, Germany. The research will focus on robot-assisted modeling of spatial navigation paradigms in biological organisms. Robotic simulations, as well as, physical robots will be used to develop and evaluate the desired models. The position will be funded at 50% of the standard salary scale TV-L E13. It is initially limited to 1 year with the possibility of extension, depending on the availability of funding. Candidates should have an excellent degree in neuroscience, physics, mathematics, engineering, or a related field. Competence in mathematical modeling, and excellent programming skills (Python, C/C++, or Matlab) are mandatory. Candidates are further required to have a strong background in at least one of the following fields: robotics, computational neuroscience, or cognitive modeling. Experience with interdisciplinary research in integrative neuroscience and cognitive science and with collaborative research would be a further asset. The working language at the institute is English. To apply, please send a statement of your research interests, academic transcripts, and a complete CV in one PDF file to samarasinghe(a)ini.rub.de <mailto:samarasinghe@ini.rub.de> by *15**.09****.2017*. Please also request from at least two academic referees that they send letters of reference directly to the same email address. Further information may be available at https://www.ini.rub.de/the_institute/jobs/. The Ruhr University Bochum provides a dynamic research environment in neuroscience and cognitive science. The Institute for Neural Computation unifies various core competencies extending from experimental and theoretical neuroscience to machine learning and robotics. The Ruhr University Bochum is committed to equal opportunity. We strongly encourage applications from qualified women and persons with disabilities. -- Vinita Samarasinghe M.Sc., M.A. Science Manager Arbeitsgruppe Computational Neuroscience Institut für Neuroinformatik Ruhr-Universität Bochum, NB 3/26 Universitätstr. 150 D-44780 Bochum Tel: +49 (0)234 32 27316 Email: samarasinghe(a)ini.rub.de Hours: Monday 9-12 & 14-16; Friday 9-12 & 14-16; Wednesday 12 - 16

Sept. 1, 2017

Postdoc position: computational models of visual memory, Rust lab, UPenn

by Rust, Nicole C

A postdoctoral position focused on developing computational models of visual memory is available in the laboratory of Nicole Rust at the University of Pennsylvania. The lab is broadly interested in understanding the neural processing supporting massive-capacity, single-trial visual memories of images. This specific position involves developing classes of computational models that describe where and how visual memories are stored in the brain as well as how the percept of visual familiarity is signaled. Models include extensions of state-of-the-art descriptions of visual processing (e.g. deep neural networks) as well as more dynamic, mechanistic descriptions. To constrain these models, the researcher will interface with experimentalists in the lab who record and perturb neural signals in monkeys and tree shrews. Opportunities also exist to collaborate with the Simoncelli lab at NYU, the Yamins lab at Stanford, and with other members of the Penn Computational Neuroscience Initiative. Candidates should have a Ph.D. in Computational Neuroscience, Computer Science or a related field prior to starting. The ideal candidate has extensive experience in computational modeling as well as working with behavioral and/or neural data. To inquire about this position, please submit a CV and a brief statement of research interests to nrust(a)psych.upenn.edu<mailto:nrust@psych.upenn.edu>. Nicole Rust Associate Professor Department of Psychology University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA http://www.sas.upenn.edu/psych/rust-lab/

Sept. 1, 2017